File No. 763.72/2546
The Ambassador in Brazil (Morgan) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 1, 8 a. m.]
Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs told me this afternoon that Ambassador Gerard had inquired of Brazilian Minister at Berlin whether, in case diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany were severed, American Legation preferably should be placed in charge of Argentina or Chile because Brazil might be drawn into the European war through her fraternal relations with Portugal. Doctor Müller assured me that that inference was unwarranted and that Brazil did not propose to seize German interned ships or any other German property.
Before any American power should take aggressive steps towards one of the belligerents, Brazilian Government would welcome a conference at Washington of the leading American States for the purpose of reaching an agreement regarding a policy in relation to submarine [Page 218] warfare and other subjects which have become acute through the action of certain of the belligerents. Such a conference would probably easily reach conclusions which would both solidify continental relations and convince Europe that the interests of all the American powers are identical. Müller would undoubtedly attend the conference.